A Christmas Miracle
by aquabullets
Summary: Summary: After Eric has been at war in Iraq for a year, Calleigh is awaiting his return just in time for Christmas.  However; when a fatal accident costs him his life, will Calleigh have to spend Christmas alone? HIPHUGGERS ALL THE WAY!


Summary: After Eric has been at war in Iraq for a year, Calleigh is awaiting his return just in time for Christmas. However; when a fatal accident costs him his life, will Calleigh have to spend Christmas alone? HIPHUGGERS ALL THE WAY!

****NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED!

I DO NOT OWN CSI MIAMI OR ITS CHARECTERS (unfortunately *sniffle*)

ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO CBS

It had officially been a year since Calleigh had said goodbye to Eric. One year since the love of her life had been sent to Iraq. One long year of crying herself to sleep, not knowing if he would return alive. Since Eric's departure, the lab realized Calleigh was more withdrawn than normal. She began working more doubles, fearing the quiet lonely home she now returned to every night. However, it was now December thirteenth, Eric would be returning in a week.

Calleigh had just returned home after a long day at work. Letting herself in, she un-clipped her gun from her waist, empting out the magazine. After a long days work all she wanted was a shower and a cup of coffee. She set her bag down on the living room couch before heading off to take her shower.

Fifteen minutes later she returned in a pair of navy blue pajamas, her damp light blonde hair draping over her shoulders. She turned the corner to find that the mail had now arrived. Shuffling through the stack she started running the pointless junk mail through the shredder. She was just about to shred the last envelope when she read the returning address.

Her heart racing, Calleigh ripped the letter open vigorously. She found herself standing with a sheet of dull paper that read,

_Dear Miss Duquesne,_

_ You have been listed as the emergency contact of Mr. Eric Delko. We are deeply sorry to tell you that Mr. Delko was killed in a building explosion earlier this week. You can expect his body back home on January 5__th__, 2011. Once again, we are terribly sorry for your loss._

_Signed,_

_General Kevin Smith_

Calleigh dropped the letter and sunk to the ground sobbing. The words she had so long avoided had finally come. Eric was gone; she would never see him again. Like last year, she would be spending Christmas alone. There would no longer be someone at the lab to cheer her up when things got tough, no one to have week day sex with when life became too stressful. She was alone… forever.

She must have been crying for hours, because when she looked up again, it was already dark outside. Calleigh didn't bother to eat dinner that night; she didn't have any appetite what –so-ever. She decided to go to bed. She didn't sleep however; instead she lay awake, deep in thought.

"Oh Eric…" she began aloud. "I hope it was fast. I hope you didn't have to struggle." Calleigh thought to herself whether she should tell the lab or wait for them to figure out on their own. She decided that they deserved to know; after all they were all like family to each other.

The next morning Calleigh made her way to Horatio's office. "H…" she started. "Can you call everyone into the conference room? There is something I need to tell you all."

Horatio was about to ask her if it could wait for another time. This morning he had arrived to work with four new cases on his desk and he needed everyone out in the field as soon as possible, but he looked up to Calleigh's begging eyes and agreed. "Alright Calleigh" he said. "I will page everyone."

Ryan had followed the rest of his team into the conference room. Just minutes ago he had gotten a page from Horatio saying that Calleigh needed everyone there. As he walked in his eyes were fixed on Calleigh's. They looked tired and puffy, like she had spent the whole night crying. He deeply wanted to go over and ask what was wrong but his head told him to do otherwise.

Once everyone had arrived Calleigh gathered the room's attention. "Guys…" she said, her voice hardly above a whisper. She tried hard to hold her tears back, wanting to appear strong in front of the others. "When I got home yesterday, I found a letter from Eric's general" she continued, the tears in her eyes spilling over as she gave up trying to hold them back.

"Cal, what happened?" Natalia blurted into the silence.

"He died earlier this week"

Before anyone could say a thing, Calleigh was racing out of the lab. She needed air, and being suffocated by people with racing questions was not going to help. She found herself sobbing in her car, her face buried into the steering wheel. A tap on the window brought her back to reality.

Horatio knelt down next to her as she opened the door. "When did you hear this?" he asked.

"I got the letter yesterday" she replied. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, he was supposed to come back just in time for Christmas" she continued to sob.

Horatio took off his sunglasses, not knowing how to comfort his CSI. "Calleigh, if you need to take a vacation you can."

"Thanks Horatio, but I really wouldn't know what to do with myself away from work."

"Come on Calleigh, at least take the rest of the day off."

"No, I can't" Calleigh protested. "I don't want to be alone at home, I want to be here with you guys." She said fighting off another wave of tears.

"Alright" Horatio said understanding that Calleigh needed her friends to help her get through this. "But you take it easy."

"I will"

Okay, so it's a little sappy for my taste… but still…

Rate and Review :D


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